I drive in stop-n-go traffic on a daily basis here in Dallas and I avg 15.2 with my 4.7L

 

Im not too sure about the v-6 being better than the v-8. In my honest opinion. I will never buy a v-6 truck or car, unless it was a small vehicle to use to work and back. Right now i have to use my truck, but i will soon buy a POS shit truck or car for work. I think that trucks should only be offered with an v8 because of the weight of the truck. I GO FOR THE 5.7 HEMI!

 

I rally do not think there will be a HUGE difference in MPG if any. But If I had to take an educated guess I would say the 4.7L would be better on feul for hte fact that it makes more low end power. This power will take less peddle to move your HUGE truck. With the 3.7L it will need to work a little harder and this will drink more fuel... but from what I have seen they are about the same... If you can afford the 4.7L then you should get it... Also get as much gear as you can... 3.92's will get better fuel economey than the 3.55's .... FACT! Also save yout $$$ and go with 17's... They are better on fuel because they are lighter than the 20's.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

my 3.7 is about 15. i didnt order it or even specifically shop for a dodge tho and it just sorta happened, so if i had the chance i would have gotten the v8. that said, my v6 is much more refined and powerful than i would have believed. it has PLENTY of power, remember its 215 horses and the 318 only had that many until the recent engines.

 

I rally do not think there will be a HUGE difference in MPG if any. But If I had to take an educated guess I would say the 4.7L would be better on feul for hte fact that it makes more low end power. This power will take less peddle to move your HUGE truck. With the 3.7L it will need to work a little harder and this will drink more fuel... but from what I have seen they are about the same... If you can afford the 4.7L then you should get it... Also get as much gear as you can... 3.92's will get better fuel economey than the 3.55's .... FACT! Also save yout $$$ and go with 17's... They are better on fuel because they are lighter than the 20's.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

Its fueling two less cylinders. Less quantity of fuel needed, even adding fuel to work a little hard the quantity required is still less than the 4.7 with no load. The 3.7 will get slightly better fuel economy.

 

Well guys. I had and 04 with a 3.7L, and now have an 05 with a 4.7L. I can tell you exactly. My 3.7L was giving me 16mpg (city, with dual exhaust). My 4.7 is giving me 16.5 (city with dual exhaust, and K&N FIPK2 intake system). Untill I put the intake and exhaust on I was getting about 15mpg with the 4.7L. The V6 is more efficient.
I gave up 1mpg to gain a whole lot of power. If you can afford the V8 GET IT!!! I had the 04 for 10 months, before I traded it on the 05. I loved the first one (that's why I bought another Ram), but that V6 wasn't getting it. It was strong for a 6 cyl. but if you plan to use that Ram as a truck and actually tow or haul anything with it, get the 4.7L. Trust me, if you don't you'll regret it. If you look at Hp only it doesn't look like much, but look at torque too (30Hp diff I think). The 4.7L is making 300 ft/lbs of torque. That is huge compared to the 3.7L 235 ft/lbs. The HEMI is making 340 ft/lbs, almost the same as the 4.7L. Remember guys, these are trucks, not cars. Don't look only at horsepower.
If you want power get the 4.7L if you want gas mileage get the 3.7L. Again, trust me I've been there, I've owned them both.

 

Should I trade my 03 4.7 with 52,000 miles on it for a 05 3.7 with no miles? My note will be the same, just starting over again. I travel back and forth from New Orleans to Baton Rouge for school(about 60 miles every weekend). I don't really tow anything, maybe load the bed up occasionally.

 

I can tell you. I've been doing some steady improvements to my 4.7 since I got it last September. Most of them are looking to gain horsepower and efficiency (more efficiency = more power and more MPG).
I was looking at something in the vicinity of 15 - 16 MPG in town (when I could keep my foot out of it, playing with the new horses).
But since I tried a little moderate porting of my stock TB, I found that I tapped into something I hadn't counted on.
I just made a 720 mile trip from Central Texas to north eastern Mississippi. I found a noticeable improvement in highway manners. Far fewer downshifts, and more ease in climbing hills caused my MPG to go up a couple of clicks. The actual numbers are in the truck, I'll post them tomorrow (somewhere around 18.6 from Killeen, TX to Texarkana. And about 19.5 from Texarkana to Memphis, TN).

Now I gotta do the gear change and swap to 20's like Air_Ram sez

 

I have a 6, and wish I would've gone with an 8, but I couldn't pass up the deal. I was averaging 17-18 MPG (ride to work is highway driving for the most part). I put 20s on it and I know my mileage has gotten worse, but I need to get my speedo recalibrated before I can figure it out. Stay with the 4.7, you'll definitely feel the load in the bed of the 3.7.

 

If you guys think the 4.7 is more efficient than the 3.7, you're all nuts. The 4.7 is a GAS HOG. My wife's 3.7 averages 17 mpg. I average 13 mpg. Both of us have the same driving habits. For gas mileage, the 3.7 will smoke the 4.7.

However, as some of you pointed out, the 4.7 is barely enough power in these big trucks, so the 3.7 would not be sufficient for working the truck any.

 

thats about the 10th time i have heard that. lets look at this shall we? i know several people who have owned ford f-150 trucks who worked the crap out of them. those trucks were heavy, slow, and had worse mileage than ours. they had a straight six with 145 horses.

dodge 3.7 = 215 horses, lighter, better mileage, and can get up and go pretty well.

I know they had about 30 foot pounds more torque but that doesnt make the difference between GREAT work truck and "cant work this 3.7 at all."

how is it that the 150's were considered great work trucks but now a truck which is more efficient and stronger and lighter with 70 more horses is just not enough to work with?? cmon.

-Matt

 

Some people have become spoiled with the power these trucks produce now. For some reason, if people feel they can't accelerate as well under full load then its underpowered. I agree with you mgbgalt, years ago people managed just fine with lower powered engines in heavier vehicles. It sounds like many memebers who complain about the power in these trucks need something like a 2 or 4 ton truck with the new 600 hp 11L Cummins. I can honestly say the 4.7 in a 1500 is not underpowered at all. I had one, and my current neighbor has one. It works just fine.

I feel that trucks should be built for durability and reliability, not speed and fuel economy. If you want more power you will burn more fuel, sorry but you can't have both.

 

not ripping on the guy who posted it, that wasnt my intention. just that i have grown weary of the constant complaints against vehicles that are just fine.

as if the laws of physics have suddenly changed and 215 horsepower now is somehow way less than it used to be?

-Matt

 

VERY good point.....

Like I said before there is not much difference between the two... I realy thought the 4.7L could bet better fuel economey if driven lightly... When I drive mine lightly I can get over 20.1MPG average. I have yet to here of a 3.7L getting 20+MPG.. Im not saying its not possible as I agree that the 3.7L is a strong engine and is just fine in a single cab truck. Im not sure on how much it can tow but for get around truck its perfect.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

I have a 4.7 and I get 16-17 in the city and 17-19.5 on highway thats at 65 mph with or w/out ac.Gas mialege has been in creasing from year to tear and now they are testing hibyrad for trucks and large rvs.my 1972 chevy 4x4 stepside at best got 8.6 mpg. I love my dodge and I bought it for a truck for loads and pulling. I plan on doing the bed cover and air intake and I'm looking at 16-17 city and 19-22 on the freeway.

 

JamesJ2525

I feel that trucks should be built for durability and reliability, not speed and fuel economy. If you want more power you will burn more fuel, sorry but you can't have both.

That is not exactly a true statement. Gaining more power does not always mean more fuel. Making an engine more efficient will increase mileage tremendously, and sometimes this means giving the truck more power. For example my uncle has a 5.3 Chevy and gets no less than 20mpg and he never takes his foot from the floor. Also he has 50 more ponies under the hood. This is simply accomplished b/c his engine is much more efficient.

Adding bolt ons like dual exhaust, CAI and bored TB's can only help. They allow the engine to breath more burning more fuel yes. but its fuel that would be wasted had the engine not burn it anyway. yet creating a more efficient engine. Now adding mods like a blower of boring out your engine will surely kill your mileage.

 

Actually a blower will increase the efficiency even more... If you can keep your foot out of it (BUT WHO CAN?) you will bet much better fuel economey with a blower... but when your foot is down you will burn twice as much fuel and it will be horible. But its true that when you increase the efficency you will gain both increased POWER throughout the RPMs and this additional power will get you better fuel economey.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

not ripping on the guy who posted it, that wasnt my intention. just that i have grown weary of the constant complaints against vehicles that are just fine.

as if the laws of physics have suddenly changed and 215 horsepower now is somehow way less than it used to be?

-Matt

My first full size truck was a 90s model Ford with the 300 ci "straight-six". So I have experience with them all. What's the difference? The difference is the Ford trucks in question do not weigh as much as these Dodges first of all. Second, that Ford six cylinder in question was originally developed for tractors. It made gobs of low end torque. In fact, the 4.9L inline six made as much torque as my current Dodge V8!

Now, by comparison the 3.7L V6 Dodge uses only makes around 235 lb./ft. or so AND it has to rev to the moon to make that power. You add that to a heavier truck and what you get is sub-par performance, especially when working it.

My 4.7L won't even hold overdrive when EMPTY, so how can you say it's not underpowered? I think it's way underpowered. My 4.0L V6 Ranger would tow my trailer loaded just as well as this heavier V8 powered Ram.

You can get whatever you want, but for me the 3.7L just wouldn't quite be enough in a fullsize truck.

 

i am saying, NO truck can hold OD in some circumstances, going up a hill, etc. and especially not one of those fords, torque or not.

gobs of torque? try 30 foot pounds more than my 3.7.

yeah it gets it lower, and i wish my truck did that.

235 HP in your 4.7 is more than mustang GTs had not long ago...i was simply saying how people get spoiled by technology, thats all.

-Matt

 

I had a v-6 in my 03' f-150 and believe it or no I got the same gas mileage If not worse than I do now in my hemi. It's just a big heavy truck for that 6 to pull around.

 

I have an 03 regular cab with 20's totally stock except for a flowmaster and typically the best mileage I can get is about 14.5 and I drive like a grandpa. However, I drove to the meet yesterday in Fort Smith and hammered it like a bat out of hell and got my best mileage ever, 16.6. That was 100% highway miles, some of you guys that are getting 18mpg+ let me know what you're doing. I would love to get that kind of mileage.
:help:

 

Oh, I forgot to say that there was a guy that drove down from Canada with a Hemi in his regular cab and averaged over 19mpg. Most of the Hemi guys I've talked to get better mileage than my 4.7.

 

Hey guys. How did we get to the 4.7L being underpowered? I don't even think the 3.7L is UNDERpowered. I just think that the V8 will serve you better for actual truck uses. All I said was if you intend to tow/haul a lot get the V8. Yes the 3.7L will get you there, but the the 4.7L will do it easier.
Like I said, I've had both. Only 2 weeks after I bougt the V6, I got a load of dirt (filled to the rails.... literally), and it handled it. I was dragging the mud flaps the whole way home, sweating that I had just overloaded my brand new truck. No problems. I have loaded the 4.7 just as high, and it was much easier to get into traffic, and up hills. Yes the 3.7 will get-er-done, but the 4.7 will make it so your aren't causing traffic back-ups.
As far as mpg (what this thread is about), the 3.7L will win every time. Yes the Ram is a heavy truck for the V6, but it's built to handle it. Do you really think that Dodge would release an engine that is doing everything it can to simply move the truck? The V6 is plenty if you are looking for a vehicle that gets you up off the ground, lets you occasionaly carry a bed full of lumber (dirt, toys, whatever), and gets pretty good mileage. If you want 20+mpg you may want a Dakota (I've had two of those too (both V6's)). It will get you the 20+mpg, and still give you a truck.

As far as that Chevy with a 5.3 getting over 20mpg. Let me know how, because my brother has one, and has never seen it. He's got a flowmaster exhaust, and a K&N FIPK2 intake on his truck (like my 4.7), and neither of us are even close to 20mpg. I guess maybe you could see 20 on the highway, but we're driving city. Anyway if you want good mileage get a V6... it's that simple. As the old time motorheads would say "there's no replacement, for displacement". The larger the engine (larger displacement) the more fuel you burn. That's how you get the power... you burn more fuel.

 

I've been getting between 17-19 MPG with my 3.7 5-speed on average.

 

Sounds about right. The 16mpg I was getting was in an automatic.
So moparram03 sounds like you've done a lot to your Ram. Looks like proof enough to me that if you're looking for a truck, but don't plan to do a lot of heavy work with it, that the 3.7L is plenty to make you happy. 19mpg with a full size truck sounds great too.